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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — to come from
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com